A total of 446,628 undernourished children are expected to benefit from the implementation of a nationwide School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) pursuant to Republic Act No. 11037 also known as the “Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act”.

In June 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA No. 11037 to address the problem of undernutrition among Filipino children through a National Feeding Program of which one of the components is the Milk Feeding Program with fresh milk or fresh milk-based product as additional component to cycle-menu hot meals in the SBFP.

Said undertaking is led and implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd) in line with the law institutionalizing a national feeding program for undernourished children in public schools. The DA-PCC, meanwhile, joins the effort by linking DepEd to the suppliers of milk from participating dairy buffalo cooperatives.

The DA-PCC identified and tapped its assisted dairy farmer-cooperatives with valid licenses to operate from Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) as suppliers of milk in the feeding program, which include Ilocano AI Agri Coop, Northern Ilocos Sur Agri Coop, Bantog Samahang Nayon MPC, Rosario Dairy Farmers Coop, San Agustin Dairy Coop (SADACO), Integrated Farmers Coop, Eastern PMPC, Catalanacan MPC, NEFEDCCO, Pulong Buli MPC, Bataan Farmers Agri Coop, Tapulao MPC, Llano Farmers MPC, LGU Magdalena Processing Facility, Gen Trias Dairy Raisers MPC, The Rosario Livestock and Agriculture Farming Cooperative, Yamang Bukid Farm Palawan, Mindoro Dairy Coop, Gubat St. Anthony Cooperative/Albay Dairy Plant, Calinog Farmers Agriculture Coop (CAF-AGRI COOP), LAMAC MPC, San Julio Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Coop, Bohol Dairy Coop, Baybay Dairy Cooperative, Siari Valley Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries MPC (SVARBEMCO), Baclay MPC, Muleta Side Buffalo Dairy Farmers Association MUSBUDA, and D & L Dairy farm.

The DepEd, through its Bureau of Learner Support Services-School Health Division (BLSS-SHD), allocated a total budget of Php154,319,824 for the purchase of carabao’s milk to be used in feeding programs. Under the program, all undernourished Kindergarten to Grade 6 pupils, who are also SBFP beneficiaries for hot meals, will receive 200 ml toned carabao’s milk daily for at least 20 feeding days.

 “This program is not only beneficial to undernourished children but also to dairy value chain players as it has created a higher demand for locally produced milk, thus, providing them sustainable livelihood and boosting the local dairy industry,” DA-PCC Executive Director Dr. Arnel Del Barrio said.

The DepEd and DA-PCC signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to embark on and implement a Milk Feeding Program in accordance with the mandates and objectives of RA No. 11037.

Several operating MOAs (OMOA) between the DA-PCC and Schools Division Offices (SDO) of DepEd were initially signed to launch the program. Furthermore, a total of nine DA-PCC regional centers had inked OMOAs with SDOs in their respective areas.

“The milk feeding program is very timely to help boost the students’ immune system against COVID-19 and improve their milk drinking habit as they grow up,” Ma. Theresa Sawit, PCC’s senior science research specialist and one of the focal persons for the project, said.

Pioneering the implementation of the SBFP-Milk Feeding Program are SDOs of Urdaneta City, Rosales, and Bacnotan in the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union, which started on August 24, September 1, and September 7, respectively.

Due to the global health crisis, each municipality will have its designated drop-off points for the delivery, inspection, and acceptance of the milk products. From the drop-off points, DepEd will conduct a house-to-house distribution of carabao’s milk to the beneficiaries.

Apart from DA-PCC, DepEd also collaborates with the National Dairy Authority in the implementation of the Milk Feeding Program. Also joining the cause are local government units of select school beneficiaries and the Department of Social Welfare and Development. (With reports from Riozel Joy Suratos and Jan Rose Maon)